Transmigrated As A Stepdad In A Fantasy Doujin World

Chapter 19: 19. The Eyes That Linger

After the meal Isolde left the house without a word.

She had changed into a battle dress that covered almost nothing.

Thin black straps and minimal dark plates hid only her nipples, the soft mound between her legs, and the most vital points of her body.

Soft white skin, the full curve of her breasts, and the long line of her thighs remained completely exposed as she walked out the front door.

The door closed quietly behind her. No explanation. No farewell.

Kael watched the empty hallway for a moment then turned to the two girls still at the table.

”Eira. Go get ready. We are leaving soon. Use the Ring of Veil to hide your hair before we step outside.”

Eira’s dual-colored head lifted just enough to show she had heard. She gave a tiny nod, stood up without speaking, and quietly walked toward the stairs.

Kael looked at Seraphine next.

”You too. Get dressed. We leave in ten minutes.”

Seraphine scoffed under her breath, the sharp sound returning for the first time that morning.

”As if I need you to tell me.”

She pushed her chair back and walked upstairs without another glance, silver-white hair swaying behind her.

Kael remained alone in the quiet dining room. While he waited he spoke inside his mind.

’System. Can you scan other people? Their ranks, skills, weaknesses.’

[Scan function exists. Requires System Level 2.]

’What is the requirement to reach Level 2?’

Silence.

No window. No reply. The system simply went quiet as if the question had never been asked.

Kael’s eye twitched.

’Useless system.’

He leaned against the table and thought about the ranker scale of this world.

He himself was still only an E- rank warrior with almost no magic to speak of. Just raw body strength and the single Bloodthirsty passive.

Seraphine, on the other hand, was already a D+ ranker.

Her vampire bloodline gave her natural speed, regeneration, and blood-related magic that most adventurers in Grayhollow could not match.

The gap between them was still wide. Their mother Isolde sat far above both of them at A+ rank, strong enough to live in the central cities if she chose.

A few minutes later soft footsteps returned.

Eira came down first.

She now wore a short dark skirt and a fitted T-shirt style armor piece that covered her upper body without restricting movement.

Her dual-colored hair was tied up high, the Ring of Veil already active so only the pure black side remained visible.

Her eyes, usually timid, carried a faint black-crimson tinge under the morning light as she stopped at the bottom of the stairs and waited in silence.

Seraphine followed soon after.

She wore a thin nearly transparent dress that clung to her pale body and left very little to the imagination.

Soft outlines of her breasts and the dark panties beneath showed clearly through the fabric.

In her right hand she carried a long slender weapon that was not a sword.

It was a curved blood-forged dagger with a dark crimson edge, the kind favored by vampire combatants who preferred speed and precision over raw power.

Silver-white hair fell loosely over one shoulder as she stopped beside Eira and looked at Kael with the same cool expression as always.

Kael pushed away from the table.

”Ready?”

Neither girl answered with words. Eira gave another small nod. Seraphine simply turned toward the door.

The three of them left the house together and stepped into the morning streets of Grayhollow.

Kael walked in the middle.

Eira stayed close on his left, quiet and small.

Seraphine walked on his right, transparent dress shifting with every step, pale thighs and the soft outline of her body visible under the thin fabric.

A sharp twist of jealousy rose in Kael’s chest at the thought of other men looking at them. Both girls were his stepdaughters.

Both were barely covered.

The transparent dress Seraphine wore left almost nothing hidden. Eira’s short skirt rode high enough to flash lace whenever the breeze caught it.

Yet the people around them did not care.

Men and women of every race passed by without lingering stares.

A human woman walked past completely naked except for a pair of sandals, full breasts and bare hips moving freely under the morning sun.

A pair of beastkin girls wore only thin strings that covered less than Seraphine’s dress.

No one turned to look. No one whispered. In this world such clothing was ordinary. Bare skin on the street was as normal as breathing.

Kael’s jealousy faded into quiet acceptance.

He kept walking toward the guild with one timid girl on his left and one sharp-tongued vampire on his right while the open streets of Grayhollow continued their usual morning rhythm around them.

They soon reached the guild hall.

The large wooden building already hummed with the noise of early adventurers.

Kael pushed the door open and stepped inside with Eira and Seraphine following close behind. The scent of ink, steel, and cheap ale filled the air.

Several heads turned the moment Seraphine entered.

More than a few adventurers recognized her at once.

The silver-white hair, the transparent dress, the blood-forged dagger at her side.

In Grayhollow she was known as stronger than most of the regular members who took D and C-rank work. Quiet murmurs passed between tables but no one approached.

Kael walked straight to the counter.

Mira, the brown-haired receptionist, looked up from her papers.

Her mature eyes moved from Kael to the two girls behind him and then back again.

A faint flush still lingered on her cheeks from the previous night, but her voice stayed friendly.

”Morning, Kael. You look better than yesterday. What do you need today?”

”Crimson Path,” Kael said. ”Are they here?”

Mira smiled and leaned a little closer over the counter, full breasts pressing against the wood.

”They checked in earlier. Last I saw they were in the side hall waiting for a new request. Want me to call them for you?”

Kael nodded once.

”Please.”

Mira raised a hand and signaled a runner. While they waited she kept talking in the same easy tone.

”Heard the east dungeon fully collapsed after your last job. Nasty business. You three got out clean though. That counts for something around here.”

Kael rested one hand on the counter.

”How is your daughter? And your husband?”

Mira’s smile softened into something quieter. A touch of melancholy entered her voice.

”My daughter is still serving as a knight in the central city. She writes when she can. My husband... he spends most of the year managing the branch halls in the capital and the bigger towns. I am alone here more often than not. The house stays quiet.”

Kael met her eyes for a moment.

”If you ever need help with anything, just say the word. I will come whenever you ask.”

Mira’s cheeks colored a little deeper. She opened her mouth to reply when a sudden shift in the air made Kael glance sideways.

A bearded middle-aged man at a nearby table was staring openly at Eira.

His eyes moved slowly over her short skirt and the flash of lace, lingering with clear perverted interest.

Eira noticed the gaze. Her body tensed. She stepped closer to Kael until her shoulder pressed against his arm, dual-colored hair still veiled to pure black, head lowered in quiet fear.

From the original Kael’s memories the man was well known in the guild. One of the strongest regulars.

A solid C- ranker.

Kael pulled Eira gently but firmly against his side and looked straight at the bearded man. Outwardly he only offered a calm polite smile.

Inside his thoughts the words were cold and sharp.

’I have to be careful of him. And I have to become strong enough to gouge out his eyes so they never look at my daughter like that again.’

The bearded man held the smile for a second then looked away without a word.

Seraphine’s crimson eyes narrowed. She turned toward Kael with clear annoyance in her voice.

”What do you have to do with the Crimson Path team? Did you work as a porter for them as well?”

Her tone carried the same sharp edge as always, but she kept her voice low enough that only he and Eira could hear it over the noise of the guild.

Before Kael could answer, four figures stepped out of the side hall and walked toward the counter.

Brianna came first, light green skin and soft green hair unmistakable even from a distance.

Beside her walked Tina, the dark elf with long black hair and calm crimson eyes. Behind them followed the full orc and the short swordsman Ryn.

The Crimson Path team had arrived.